Swedish Music Industry Veterans Join Forces With Former Inside Out Music America Staff To Form Blistering Records

Blistering Records has announced the launch of their new record label, with a focus on signing and developing recording acts in a wide spectrum of rock music, including but not limited to: Melodic Rock, Hard Rock, Classic Rock, Progressive Rock, Metal and all combinations of these styles.

The label has a simple philosophy: “Treat the artists the way we would like to be treated. We all started out as struggling musicians in bands so we know all-to-well what it feels like to be on the other side of the desk. More than ever with today's tough and ever changing music market survival is determined by understanding, appreciation, innovation, commitment and team-work. We are true supporters of the scene(s) that we help represent and are determined to prove ourselves to be survivors by becoming one of the leading independent record labels for Rock and Metal.”

The principals of Blistering are individuals with self proclaimed life-long love affairs with music, and extensive industry experience to put their philosophy into action.

Chairman of the Board, Tomas Sunmo started his career in 1984 at Tandan/Alpha Records as label manager for artists like Metallica, Sepultura, Frank Zappa etc. Tomas then went on to Reel Records and then MNW ILR before co-founding Scandinavian Record Distribution company, Playground Music where he also acted as the Director of Business Affairs between 1999 and 2007.

Label President Lars Chriss is widely known as a recording and touring artist with his band Lion's Share (Century Media, JVC, AFM Records, Avex etc). Lars has a sound engineering degree at SAE and has extensive industry experience from working at various labels, booking agencies and artist management companies.

North American Managing Director Jim Pitulski has done marketing and artist development for companies like Columbia Records and the Polygram Label Group where he worked hands-on with acts such as Alice in Chains, Judas Priest, Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), Warrant, Britny Fox and Kingdom Come. Jim also started management company Roundtable Entertainment where he handled Dream Theater, Spock's Beard and Fish. He then went on to become the managing director of Inside Out Music America, perhaps the world's top label for progressive rock and metal.

Blistering Records is also looking to generate and foster strategic relationships with like-minded labels for licensing and distribution in North America and Europe. Recent alliances with Italy's Frontiers Records and Germany's Massacre Records are examples.

Blistering will release its first titles in the U.S. through Ryko/Warner Distribution on October 7th. Among those titles will be new releases from Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Michael Kiske (Helloween), House Of Lords and Revolution Renaissance which features former Stratovarius guitarist Timo Tolkki.